About last night …

Canadiens fans, let us draw solace on Sunday.
Not from the scriptures.
From the calendar.
For behold, it is April 14.
Hallelujah!
Were it April 28, loud would be the lamentations in Habland.
As it is, however, two weeks remain until the final game of the regular season – which the Canadiens will play in Toronto on April 27.
If they stink out the ACC again on that Saturday night … well, it will be time for some serious teeth-gnashing, nail-biting and panic button-pushing – especially if April 30 or May 1 is the date of Game 1 in a Montreal-Toronto playoff series.

So everyone chill out.

Mathieu Darche, on L’Antichambre, had a good description of what we saw at the ACC Saturday night: Humility Lesson 2.0.

Remember Feb. 9 at the Bell Centre? The Leafs won 6-0. The winning goal was scored 59 seconds into the game.

This time it took the Leafs almost two whole minutes to get on the board. With Francis Bouillon off for an accidental high-stick, a Canadiens penalty-kill that hadn’t surrendered a goal in seven games was torched within 18 seconds. Tyler Bozak completed a nifty passing play, and Carey Price had no chance on the goal.

The Canadiens’ goaltender was brutal, however, on goals by Leo Komarov and Jay McClement. The latter goal – the third on four Toronto shots – sent Price to the bench, an ignominy he had avoided in that early February loss.

David Drewiske’s goal briefly ignited hopes for a Canadiens comeback, but Dion Phaneuf scored on the first SoG Budaj faced.

Toronto defenceman Mark Fraser blocked three shots during the first period – two more than Price and Budaj combined.

It was that kind of a night.

It happens. You just wish it didn’t happen twice against Toronto in a truncated season.

And you wish it wouldn’t happen to Carey Price against a team the Canadiens might be facing in the first round of the playoffs. Or against James Reimer, who is lifetime 4-2 with two shutouts against the Canadiens.

Move over, Martin Brodeur. make way for James F. Reimer.

In his postgame remarks, Michel Therrien gave his goaltender a vote of confidence. Price has character, the coach said.

“I’m not concerned,” Therrien added. “He’s the kind of athlete who will bounce back.”

Price might have a shot at redemption in that April 27 game. The Eastern Conference standings will determine the significance of Game 48.

If the Canadiens are sitting fourth and the Leafs fifth, the game is a bona-fide playoff preview. And the pressure on Price will be enormous.

He is 11-11-1 against Toronto. Heading into a first-round series, Price has to prove he can beat the Leafs.

But if it’s a nothing game, maybe Budaj starts.

We’ve got two weeks to chew that over. The Canadiens followed that 6-0 loss to the Leafs with five straight wins, but this time they face a very tough schedule.

The game in Toronto was the first of five in eight nights. This is a physical test for the Canadiens, and Brandon Prust got banged-up in Toronto.

The Leafs lead the NHL in hits (and fights), and they laid 47 of them on the Canadiens. Every player in a blue jersey, except Phil Kessel, had a hit; and Ryan O’Byrne had SEVEN. That’s five more than Drewiske, the Canadiens late-season acquisition.

Vincent Damphpusse, on L’Antichambre, described the Canadiens’ effort as “tour croche”, which translates roughly as “f—ed up”. The former Habs captain knocked their lack of emotion, their tendency to give the Leafs odd-man rushes, their failure to be first on the puck.

But for all that, the Canadiens had a 13-5 shot advantage in the first period. With any kind of goaltending …

Down 4-1, however, it was all over but the crying. And the lacuna Damphousse highlighted were much in evidence. The Leafs had a 4-on-1 rush, for cryin’ out loud … and they didn’t score.

Contrast the s–it show in TO with Tampa Bay’s visit to Washington. Down 5-1 five minutes into the second period – as were the Canadiens – the Lightning outshot the Caps 32-14 over 40 minutes and scored four unanswered goals to send the game to overtime. Vincent Lecavalier took a slashing penalty in OT, opening the door for a Mike Green goal that ended it.

The last 40 minutes in Toronto weren’t quite that thrilling.

Maybe the Canadiens were complacent. Their win in Buffalo sewed up a playoff spot. And they didn’t know it while the game was on, but the Canadiens’ loss didn’t cost them first place in the Northeast, as Boston were on their way to a loss in Carolina.

Carolina had 17 shots in the first period, and Tuukka Rask stopped 16 of them. Justin Peters faced four Boston shots, the second of which beat him.

We keep blaming DD for MAx’s performance, I agree to a point but Max needs to wake up, use his strenght and size and drive to the net with authority. Plays way too much on the perimiter and complains a little to much, grab the bull by the horns and lead this team by example ala Gally

CAREY PRICE STATS THIS YEAR;POOR(on a VERY solid team no less!)
Carey Price 2012 – 2013 Snapshot
1)SAVE PERCENTAGE 0.912-38th place among 81 goalies!!!!!
2)2.36 G.A.A-24th place among 81 goalies!!!!!!
3)0.679 winning percentage-16TH place among 81 goalies(a team stat)
My question-Therrien says it is his responsibility to put the best players on for the longest time each night.Does that apply to goalies also? Because if it does Price should be the backup-I mean its not close.HE IS HORRIBLE!!
Game in and game out for 6 years I have seen SOFT GOALS EVERY AND I MEAN EVERY GAME.Price backers can lie about his skill but NUMBERS NEVER LIE.He is a slightly below average NHL Goalie over 6 years!!!. I know it,other teams know it,and Im sure even Price knows it.
The difference in winning in the playoffs is often 1 goal per game–PRICE DOESNT CUT IT!
Your goalie is the key to winning in the playoffs-STATISTICALLY,VISUALLY and every other obvious way with 6 YEARS OF STATS to back me up,PRICE DOESNT CUT IT!
Canadiens better stop living in a dream world soon or they can reserve their tee time now.START BUDAJ EVERY GAME.

Not to discredit Price’s dismal performance this past Saturday, numbers don’t always paint the entire picture. I definitely lay blame on him for goal # 2 and 3. However, Boullion with his lack of discipline with only a couple minutes into the game has him off to the penalty box. A little careless with his stick so early! What happens, Plecs allows Bosak to dangle through him and end result, puck in the back of the net. Plecs is still looking for his strap!

And even after Price is warming the bench, you see Boullion taking another bad penalty and Subban back to his old self, yapping at everyone in blue rather than focusing on playing the game. There was still plenty of time for this team to mount a comeback, at 3-1. Yet they chose to run around yapping and jawing. What I don’t get Is Therrien refusal to bench a couple of these guys until the decide they want to try and play hockey and get back in it. Where was the captain? Where have DD and Pax been lately?!

So yes Price stunk it up no question. But do the stats show anything about how the remaining 50 minutes went in this one?!

Now “this” is what I would call an Excellent post.
Very nice job Ken. Insightful, balanced, rational and intelligent.
It’s too bad that it will probably go unnoticed, but thanks again.

As good as MT has been this season I think he still has his favourites, like Bouillon and Armstrong for eg., but perhaps he also doesn’t want to start calling out or drawing attention to his
captain or other vets in public. Given his past, this may be wise.

Re Pac, I think he’s been playing decent but as others have said,
it’s on the perimeter. This, along w his lack of any real physical game, has been driving me nuts. He could be dominating if he
would play w passion and drive. Like Price, he’s too laid back
and this is where IMO the coach and the vets need to step up
and start challenging him. A benching has helped many a good player over the years hasn’t it?

I’ve often wondered if Price is so laid back that even though he is
competitive, perhaps he needs to be either truly challenged by
another goalie (as w Halak) as his back-up/rival, Or , he needs to be really, truly pissed off or embarassed by his coach or teammates before he gets out of his natural comfort zone of being
so laidback and hence too lackadaisical, even in big games. Without being in the dressingroom I suppose we’ll never really know.

Heard an interview with Stu Cowan on TSN 690 radio yesterday, he had some gracious words to say about the poster’s on this site. He was very appreciative and proud of those involved, as a Hab fan , I too love reading and getting involved. Thanks Stu for the opportunity, and your dedication. Go Habs!

Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but I think it was Heally who was saying after the Komarov goal that Price was wearing all new equipment to break it in for the playoffs since the habs had now clinched. Any past goalies on here think that would have effected him enough on that goal at least? Or is that a stretch? My bad if this has already been discussed.

…as an ex-goalie that only had 2 choices of make for goalie equipment …heavy, and heavier …I say definitely new equipment would need getting use to, as per how tight You can pull new pads together, and it’s capacity to resist and control the puck slipping between one’s pads

…if true, that is an excuse …but not an excuse We or His Team-mates should accept at this level, and for such an important game

He’s a type that would get pissed if he got a 90 in an exam. I remember him getting an 88 in a math exam and he was seriously pissed. Went to high school with him. He’s no joke. Hardest worker I ever met. Gets 90s all around in his report card. Plays great hockey + numerous other hobbies. Hard work is part of this guy’s personality. Watch out…

When are people going to stop whining about TO being lucky and
don’t really deserve to beat the Habs etc etc. Man, they are only 5(?) points behind and could very well finish ahead of us if we go on a
losing streak, though I hope not. TO obviously has a good team or
else they wouldn’t be in 5th place in the conference.

I would be worrying about the Habs typical lack of response to dirty
hits by kahdri. At least later in the game when it was out of reach someone (Gally) should’ve gotten even. Why? Bec the ref’s won’t and at some point one must fight fire w fire; otherwise TO gets in our
heads going into the playoffs and even if not, at least get even for pride’s sake. Is pride such a bad thing when it comes to a sports competition?

Another thing is, TO never allowed us to penetrate the slot for any
good shots or rebounds after the first period. That must be adressed
or else it could be an early exit if we play them in the play-offs. But at some point TO has to be recognized to be a good team, even if it
hurts to admit it.

Longtime reader, very rare contributor. But I love reading your posts. As a guy who (by some freakishly bizarre pattern of luck) gets to teach philosophy for a living, I also love that some of your avatars include Nietzsche & Rousseau

I’ve been thinking a fair bit about Price lately. To my mind, he recalls Dryden: a tall, lanky, introspective guy who, while rarely stealing an entire series that the team shouldn’t have won (the way Roy, my childhood hero, did), played the percentages and gave his team solid long-term goaltending on the averages.

One thing I learned from reading and learning about Dryden was how – in a way distinct from “stealing” or having “hot” streaks – insanely difficult it is to sustain consistent excellence over many seasons, both mentally and physically. Dryden was up-and-down in particular series (’72, for instance), and was maddening in any one game, but managed a long-term reliability that allowed the organization to focus on acquisitions in other areas of the roster. Grant Fuhr was a more recent example of this kind of contribution, and a more apt comparable to Price from than era that Roy (or Hasek, or, more recently, Quick) would be.

That’s Price’s game, period. He’s a chill, introspective, cerebral athlete who focuses on long-term amelioration and technical improvement. He puts the time and the work in. He hates to lose more than the fans do – which, in Montreal, is saying something. But he’s not into drama; he’s into responding with calm, hard work. And by committing to him, the Habs have been able to focus on development and acquisition in other areas (compare Philly and Tampa in this respect).

He is what he is: an elite athlete working on his game and who enables his team, over the long term, to develop a balanced roster and stable of prospects for consistent competitiveness. Consider a thought experiment: if we didn’t have a franchise goaltender and a reliable backup already in the picture, how would you build a winning roster under the new salary cap reality? What would you have to give up? Would the resulting roster and stable of prospects be really balanced, both between positions and between short-term and long-term gains?

We’ve got a Dryden on our hands. The organization’s job is to build a roster that doesn’t require our Dryden to be a Roy. And the fans need to give this preternaturally talented and mature young fellah a break.

My two cents.

PS Give the boys a break about last night – how many of y’all have done your best work with epic hangovers?

Hmmm. Alright, we’ll cut him some slack. I woke up feeling really pissed about the loss and had to check to make sure I wasn’t the one that shat my bed. I think if Price had been drafted in 2nd or 3rd, or a later round, we wouldn’t be going apesh*t all the time on here. And I can definately see the parallels to Dryden.

That’s a great analysis and what a great post to read!
Definitely a nice change from the Price blame game.

I think his game as you point out is easy to overlook as he is so calm and technical. He rarely needs to scramble to make saves because he is usually at the right place at the right time. Notice many goals against him are when he is on the move or out of position. He gives us a chance to win every night and last night was an anomaly. He will bounce back and be hungry to prove himself.

Thanks JJR! (When I was in Paris, I went to the Pantheon to see his tomb).

Nothing in my comment, i hope, implies that Price, like any other player or member of management, should not be held responsible for the norms appropriate to their role in the team concept. What I’m suggesting is that Price’s role, as a goaltender, is different than what many (but not all) of the pro vs anti Price posts have been presupposing.

Your wider analysis is well taken. I suppose I can only speak for myself: while it’s easy to recognize that Price is a very good goalie
it would be nice if he would play just “good” when it’s a really big
game. He doesn’t need to play “great” in every big game.

Let’s face it, even the best will occasionally have a bad night when the stakes are high. But Carey cannot keep having bad
games whenever the stakes are raised higher than usual. There
comes a time when being merely good in the games against TO would be a nice standard to achieve.

Re’g Grant Fuhr, I’d put him under the P. Roy category and not the
Dryden one. I’ve always argued that Fuhr was truly the MVP for
Edmonton in most of their cup runs. He continually made acrobatic saves game after game and kept his team in it while
they were caught deep in the other end thus giving up countless odd-man rushes.

A Dryden? I watched Dryden play his first game and followed a bunch of Hab goalies long before him. We have a Price on our hands, not a Dryden.

Price’s problem isn’t seasonal and having a bad game here and there isn’t it either. The problem lies in his inexplicable inability to stay sharp for an entire game and that’s a problem Ken and some earlier Hab goalies never had.

And, my friends, that’s not going to change this season or next. It’s been Price’s hallmark since his first season. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oops!!!! Should have had that one. (and too many others) Frustrating for fans and team mates alike.

Guys who play to win know just how demoralized and angry that kind of goal tending can leave you feeling. Price can’t be trusted and trusting that every guy on the team will always be trying their best is important.

At first I felt sorry for the leafs..
Then they smashed us 6-0…
Then I started to despise the Leafs..

At first I didn’t want to face the Leafs first round…
Then they beat us in a ridiculous game…
Leafs fans think that they are the better team… they had 5 goals on 8 shots was it?? This ain’t NHL 13 Leaf fans…

Now I want the Leafs first round so badly so they will finally STFU…

I mean hey… If we can’t beat them in a 7 game series…
Then I wouldn’t want to make it pass the first round…

Come on, Price’s career playoff record is terrible; 8W vs 15 Losses; .907 Save %; 2.84 GAA. With those kinds of stats, Canadiens will never get close to the Cup.

This post season will be the last and final straw. If he fails (again), trade him in a hurry before it’s too late. At least we’ll save the $6.5MM cap hit through 2018. We can get average goaltending at 1/3 the price.

@danno. Don’t get me wrong amigo, Vodka is my beverage of choice during the playoffs and in the summer months,but during the regular season ,the Habs should just stick with Whiskey and Cognac.It is civilized and would cut down on those problems we witnessed last night IMO.

…yes, it was reassuring that Subban appreciates what’s going on this season with the Habs, and He Himself …sometimes what You hear from journalists and other Habs Fans’ hallucinogenic mental gymnastics leave You thinking Subban is in a dark place …far from it, the opposite is true

I know what you mean, but unless somebody was in a dark place himself/herself I don’t know where he/she would get that impression from. Anyone with a brain and a minimal sense of fairness would see Subban for what he is, one of the brightest young men in the NHL (not even talking about his talent as a hockey player).

Did he happen to mention how long is the glorious future away? At least with Bobo we new that nirvana would come in 5 years. Just wonder is some of the more … umm… seasoned HIO poster will still be around when the bright future arrives.

MB strikes me as a realist. It will take him time to refit the roster into one that can compete season after season. Character, talent, grit… Heck, even more size! It will take time to acquire those pieces while managing the cap and erasing past mistakes…

And I don’t imagine he’ll get everything right. Travis Moen’s 4-year resign looks pretty bleak when you consider how poorly he’s performed relative to Brandon Prust.

It is hard to argue with results though and this season has been very surprising. Full credit for flipping Cole for Ryder and bringing back Cube, signing Prust, letting the kids play up… and of course for letting Gomer go and for choosing MT to bring some accountability and pride into the joint.

I’ve been reading comments from last night game and the problem I have like most are the 3 bad goals
Not our goalie. ALL no. 1 goalies give up bad goals through out the year. Price will be fine. Cause I believe
Problem I have from game is the hit from kadri on Eller stood over him after the hit. Taunting him!!
Eller should have responded and hope he does April 27. Can’t let that little fart get away with that.
Go habs go

saw the replays from last night… a pathetic performance by Price to say the least.
what really baffles me is that people think that for sure Carey can step up in the playoffs and lead us far… seriously.. in his professional career when has he ever shown that he can dominate for a stretch of time.
I hope he does, and maybe he will stone the other teams and will be a dominant goalie.
But so far I have not seen Carey Price step up to the plate when it counted, since he won the calder trophy 6 (7?) years ago.

Just got back from Hamilton where my daughter won the Ontario Provincial Twosome Bowling Tournament. I had a few pot shots thrown @ me about last night’s loss. (I was wearing my Habs sweatshirt) I bit my tongue cause it was my daughters big day.

Therrien, Groulx & Bergevin need to sit Carey down & give him a good talking to. WTF Carey was on last night he needs to get rid it!

First off, it’s sarcasm, putting things in perspective and saying how stupid some fans are on here for whining about Price, who had a stretch I believe of 14 games without a regulation loss this seaon or 18 with one regulation loss? Something like that. Also Miller got silver not him, that’s like saying Bernier has Stanley Cup experience and a Cup ring.

…to all Y’ouse out there using Marc Bergevin’s cellphone card on the blower to other GMs trying to trade Carey Price, or planning on throwing Him off a bridge in a sack like a kitten into the roiling river below

…can We all agree that Carey is at least as good or better as 80 % of current goalies in the NHL ?

I think the prust -gallagher-chucky should be put back. As a fan I was disappointed that not a single player stuck up for the rookie as he was targeted last night. Prust needs to be back with him and chucky so he can play his game

So, upon looking at the standings, I’ve narrowed our potential playoff opponents to four teams:

IF The Habs maintain 2nd in the East, they’ll be playing either the Rangers or the Islanders, who are a point apart from each other at the current moment. I’d imagine the Rangers are more likely. They have 1 less point, but also hold a game in hand.

IF Bruins win the NE, we’re playing Toronto, no two ways about it. They have a big enough spread on the Sens that they won’t lose 5th to them, and I don’t see us dropping under 4th.

IF the Leafs get super hot and pass both the Habs and Bruins, and win the NE, we get the Bruins. Chances are we get 4th and they get 5th.

From those matchups, I want the Rangers, but I honestly don’t feel worried about any of them. I REALLY doubt the Leafs can get us in 7, and the Islanders aren’t that scary either despite their record against us this year. We’re in the Bruins heads this year, I feel, so that’s another good matchup.

My thoughts, better chance of us playing winnipeg or ottawa than the Bruins. Leafs I feel we’d take in 5, Bruins I feel pretty confident in a 6-7 game series, Rangers are dangerous but Price has his best games against them, the islanders 0 defence makes them no too frightening, ottawa’s goaltending worries me although with no shootouts and only overtime I think we’d take it, Winnipeg is a joke. Might as well toss Pittsburgh in for fun, that’d a crazy series and alot of our hope would rely on Price I feel.

We can’t finish because too many shots hit the glass or go wide. MT, please practise and practise and practise shooting the puck from the slot. And also get Halpern to teach the other centermen how to win faceoffs.

He is a GM (fortunately or unfortunately) so at this time he has the right to get rid off dead weight with or without justification. The fact that it is in fact dead weight should justify him getting rid off it.

Not sure who you are thinking of by my dead weight to get rid off:

1. Desharnais
2. Moen
3. Pacioretty (if can swing a good deal)
4. Gorges
5. Drewiske (6’2″ 220lbs of deadest weight)
6. Gionta (not really dead but not all that alive either with a ridiculous contract)

I posted this in reply to a post farther down the page, but it is now among “Older Comments”, so I’ll re-post it, mainly because I’ve read a lot of comments about how lucky the Leafs were last night and have generally been throughout the season.

The Leafs certainly had some luck last night, while we couldn’t catch a break. However, I think many here are too willing to attribute the Leafs’ success this year to luck. I hear talk about an unsustainably high shooting percentage that is bound to regress to the mean, about “lucky” goals that no other team would score on such a regular basis, etc.

All I can say about these arguments is that I hope the Habs are not thinking this way. They’ve been stomped twice by the Leafs this season; if they go into the next game without respecting their opponent, feeling that that opponent has simply been “lucky,” they’ll probably get stomped again.

I really don’t think the kind of “luck” people are attributing to the Leafs could endure for most of a season. I doubt the Leafs are luckier or unluckier than any other team; every team has games where they get the bounces or the calls or whatever and games where they don’t. The Leafs are a good team. Where they are better than the Habs at present is in making, more often than not, the most of their scoring opportunities. We tend not to. We hit the post, miss open nets, whiff on the shot and so on. Last night, even after Price’s disastrous start, we could have made the game close if we had cashed in on a couple of opportunities. The loss is clearly on Price, but the Habs need to be more opportunistic.

Good points. I doubt MT and the team prepare in a way that reflects that view.
I think they plan their game to be strong on possession and scoring chances, but when you have something like last night, that goes out the window.
The leafs though have been lucky, and that is something may or may not be sustained. In analysing the game through those stats, the thing to take away from that is that you need to limit their chances and breaks/rushes and take it to them.

I don’t know man, I think here is where the goalie-bashers come.
I know the luck argument is easy to make and sounds full of excuses, but in this case it applies.
I also know the whole reffing biz is a bit whiny but I think we just complain about it because it is an issue and it is a bigger deal than most who call it whining admit.
That being said, I’m one of those sore losers that will not give credit, at least for a long time.

Agreed, but at the same time you have admit that that percentage is luck. And they have not been riding it consistently, which is why they have not gone on long streaks. If they constantly out-played other teams and were riding than, then that would be horrendous because that would be quite a force, but as things stand it is more of an unpredictable cannon that when it strikes deals a lot of damage but you never know if it will fire.

Habitant-In-Surrey re-inspired me with his poem from Rudyard Kipling. It reminded me of how ‘kick-ass’ Kipling was! So with apologies to that great author I have reworded the latter half of his poem “England’s Answer”. Here is what I think should be “Habitant Answer”. You can google “Kipling Englands Answer” to compare the original.

It got me up! Hope it does the same for some of you.
================================
…..Thus for the Prize in Stanley’s Race.
Let us make promise. So long as The Blood endures,
I shall know that your skill is mine: ye shall feel that my strength
is yours:
In the day of the 7th game, at the last great fight of all,
That Our Team stand together and the pillars do not fall.
Lift now the revered Torch; firm Like the Rocket’s hands,
And the stand that ye make shall be lore throughout the lands.
This for the Sen’tor Turds, and that for the Philly goon,
This for the Maple-Laffs, and that for the sandbagging Bru’n.
The wounds that ye take shalt be raw but thou shalt press thy will,
Because ye are Sons of Les Glorieux and must be Legends still.
Now must ye stand for your linemates and they must stand for you,
Heed ye MT’s appel aux bras, in straight-flung words and few.
Go to your work and be strong, halting not in your ways,
Balking the end half-won for an instant dole of praise.
Stand to your work and be wise — certain of sword and pen,
Show now the valour of your history, be Titans in a world of men!

It’s amazing how some people here are so delusional about why this loss occurred. When your goalie becomes a sieve and your team tries to overcome and not play their game, then you hear stories of bullshit about partying or bad luck.
Bottom line, they showed up to play and someone shart the bed. End of story and end of excuses.